The Fierce & The Dead, with a new body in Steve Cleaton (keys/fx/guitar), return from Morecambe with their new release, On VHS, continuing their mission of taking post and instrumental rock to places they sometimes don’t go, this time with a focus that makes On VHS seem both leaner (and meaner) and more expansive. All the trademark discipline and top-shelf execution is there of their other outings, but On VHS has a much more immediate punch and thrust that elevates the urgency. Opener 666…6 is the calling card, not so much setting the pace (Hawaii picks that up with a speed-metal gallop) as it does the intent. One thing TFATD have had out of the gate is an inherent class; from composition to skill to their uncanny grip on not strictly what they do, but what they can do. The use of loops is lessened somewhat (countered by the addition of Cleaton) without disavowing where they’ve already been and are coming from. The title cut is more contemplative than the twin barrels of 666…6 and Hawaii, eventually ramping up the intensity by the end without leaving their past accomplishments in the dust. Part 3, an obvious nod to their debut,stretches out the running time, but not the welcome. As mysterious and brooding as Part 1 and 2, it’s undercut with a vibe of melancholia, and given it’s place in the line, a whiff of nostalgia. Packed full of dynamics, introduced by 666…6′s meticulous waffling between quieter lulls and bursts of thrust, On VHS surrenders to neither finding a sweet spot between heft, drive and thoughtfulness. Those who have followed TFATD this far won’t disappointed. If this is the introduction, it’s as good a place to start as any to discover what they’re all about, where they’ve been and, more importantly, all the places they can still go to.
1. an antiquity that has survived from the distant past.
2. something of sentimental value
Matt Stevens, guitarist for The Fierce & The Dead, brings his definition of relic to the classroom. Relic, though not an antiquity, is rooted in the past, as well as the here and now, making it timeless if anything. If Stevens’ solo work (Echo, Ghost) and his outings with The Fierce & The Dead left you wondering if it was two different people manning the collective ship, then Relic might work more as a missing link to you. But the more you delve into Stevens’ work the more you find that both faces are definitely his. Where Echo and Ghost deceptively fell in line with their names, Relic packs more heft with approaches and arcs that call to mind Stevens’ own The Fierce & The Dead and Yonks, Radiohead, Fripp/Crimson, Mogwai and much more…from the rolling Rushden Fair to the thrust of Frost (a bookend to TFATD’s Landcrab in some ways) what comes across more than the increased weight is Stevens’ vibrancy and prowess, acoustic or electric. Relic has all the bright dynamics of Stevens’ catalog, collapsing his various projects into a record that is both a summation and expansion…so far.
Acting as a showcase for Stevens’ playing, songwriting and process, Relic reveals another side to Stevens through its cohesiveness. Another side with as much passion, enthusiasm and ‘value’ as he puts into all his work. Relic may be hard to define, but it never comes across as a showy genre-hopping exercise; Stevens obviously values richness over flash or grandstanding complexity. And in that regard, Relic should appeal to fans of instrumental rock (electric and acoustic), post-rock, prog and even fusion.
Stevens has made a name for himself not only with a string of fantastic, varied releases, but with his juggernaut DIY ethic. Because of that, as with all his projects, there is an openness and inviting character to Relic that is as important as its diversity and intricacy. As well as a wry sense of humor; why else the title Relic? Not one to make ‘music for musicians,’ Stevens offers up a myriad of entry points on multiple levels. What it all is and what it means is for the listener to decide. I’d hazard a guess that’s what Steven’s wants…and values.
The Fierce & The Dead :: If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe
The Fierce & The Dead (TFATD) can move where ever the Hell they want. As their debut Part 1. showed, they can play whatever they want, too. Part 1. was a monster 18 minute ride that was as much a history lesson as it was an introduction. Full of cinematic sweep and drama, you’d expect the full-length to take that lead and run with it. If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe does do that. And it doesn’t.
Morecambe is briefer than you might expect with track times never approaching marathon lengths. Disappointing or TFATD-lite? Not at all. There is no mistaking who is on deck, and on deck fully, with the first longing strains of opener Flint. Part 2. packs the same melancholy turmoil as Part 1. in a third of the time and carries as much weight. TFATD are still as weighty (and agile) as ever, but aren’t going to be defined by that just as they aren’t going to be constrained by ‘long’ running times.
There is an economy and sparseness to Morecambe that makes what is not being said just as tightly wound and relevant to the tracks as the actual sonics. TFATD don’t sound like Radiohead, but that ‘frugal’ filler free approach calls to mind some of that outfit’s later platters where the empty spaces are anything but. And that certainly doesn’t mean TFATD skimped on their heft. Check the kinetic gallop of Landcrab, a thundering 2 minute noisy blast that sounds like Th’ Faith Healers going post-rock, or the inevitable closing squall of H.R.; contrast that with the chiming accents of 10 x 10′s almost Crimson-like funk or the longing of Hotel No. 6 and it’s clear that TFATD are covering as much territory as they did on their debut.
Daddies Little Helper, with some stellar contributions from saxophonist Terry Edwards, is a subtle reassurance that TFATD’s prog joneses are still in tact. It’s a quieter, bouncy tract that still has that residual longing tied up in it that they work so well. Not so much ‘classic’ prog as classy prog for the here and now. Andy Fox does much the same on a different emotional tangent with Edwards making a mournful, fractured reappearance. It’s a fantastic closer to the disc, collapsing much of the record into a final statement.
Morecambe is unmistakably TFATD in some unexpected ways. To Morecambe or not, TFATD are moving. That seems more crucial than the final stopping point, if there is one, or whether they packed light or not. And far more interesting.
H.R. :: The Fierce & The Dead :: If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe (The Fierce & The Dead, 2011)
Dropping virtually back to back, Alpha and Marluk see Stevens taking his talent and drive in some new territories. Far more ‘electronic’ than his other works, Stevens and Lextrical brew up a heady mix of instrumental electronica, acoustic guitar and post-rock. For fans of The Fierce and the Dead and Stevens’ solo outings, it’s got Stevens stamp through and through {only a few seconds into Yonks 1 and you know who is in the mix}. To these ears, Alpha is more closely tied with Stevens own projects, while Marluk has Lextrical and Stevens solidifying their own sonic stamp.
You can check Yonks at BandCamp while you’re pining for new The Fierce and the Dead…Stevens maintains his vision, and calling card, in yet another project. On his own, seamlessly integrated; team leader, team player; Stevens’ signature sound may be the snap of how he dovetails with all these outings without sacrificing his…Stevens-ness.
The Fierce and the Dead rise again delivering on the promise of their recent album preview, Flint, dropping 10 x 10 and Foreign Languages. Shorter in length than their staggering debutPart 1., these trio of tunes are The Fierce and the Dead through and through, saying just as much as Part 1., but more concisely, with a different lilt to their voice. Brighter and crisper than Part 1., they hint at a new vocabulary that doesn’t have to rely on big words for big sounds. Just as Matt Stevens solo acoustic works {Ghost, Echo} are both a departure and compliment to the sounds of The Fierce and the Dead, these sneak peaks hint at the same process in regards to Part 1.
Just because the sounds reaching your ears might be a foreign tongue, doesn’t mean you don’t know the language. The Fierce and the Dead definitely know that, and they’re obviously gearing up to let everyone know it, too. They’re trying out some new words and their enunciation is perfect.
Foreign Languages :: The Fierce and the Dead :: 10 x 10 {BandCamp, 2011}
If Michigan had retooled itself this way, maybe … well, some things move on, and occasionally, forward … and luckily for us, so do The Fierce & The Dead. Guitarist Matt Stevens has made a new track, Flint, available for our digestion. Flint is available here, as well as much, much more.
Flint heads out down the road with a slow build boil that marks the signpost clearly as “The Fierce and the Dead.” The guitar pings and resonates without becoming tinny or thin making a great counterweight to TFATD’s rooted bottom-end. All of the trademarks that made Part 1. such a stellar debut single are here, but where Part 1. was an art-rock dispersal almost 20 glorious minutes in length, Flint manages to distill their identity and mission down to about a third of Part 1. A shot at accessibility for the more timid? Absolutely not. It’s a credit to TFATD’s focus that they can manage to keep telling their stories in the short form without selling themselves short.
Every leg of a trip is as long as it needs to be … how long it takes to get to the next signpost doesn’t matter … the journey is the destination we’ve been told: hat’s off to the first step.
Sunrise Ocean Bender fave Matt Stevens takes a break from serving up another sonic meal and gives The Delete Bin a peak into the kitchen to see not only what’s stirring in the pot, but also how to serve it up …
“Where one might expect delicate melody lines and aural wallpaper arrangement in instrumental guitar composition, or flashy soloing, Stevens makes chords and rhythm prominent. Melodic value is important here. But, Stevens’ music is about texture, subtlety, and atmosphere for the creation of mood. Sometimes, it’s about sheer attack on the fretboard, not in a showy way, but in a way that attracts the attention of the listener to appreciate its depth.
And as for genres, take your pick. Is Stevens’ music roots music, experimental jazz, post- rock? Well, yes. But, at the same time, not really.” — The Delete Bin
… with donations in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Please, spread the good word …
Confirmed acts include – Alun Vaughan, Matt Stevens,Nick Tann, Rainer Straschill,Tracy Shaun, Chrissie Caulfield, Sam Neiland, USit, Steve Moyes and many more…
The first act will be on at 3pm BST on both days – International times are at:
I’ll be filling in for the venerable Wisdom Tooth on BombRadio this week, 1-3, right before Sunrise Ocean Bender. Those are mighty big shoes to step into …
Forecast?
Storm clouds.
I just may go a little NWOBHM on you … got a few gems, including a double shot from Janick Gers’ earlier duties before he landed in Iron Maiden and More will try to dethrone Arthur Brown as the God of Hellfire. Then we’re off … Got a monster track from Smoking Spore {correction: that’s Monster with a capital ‘M’ … I may need a shoe-horn to squeeze it in}, plus some other tasty juggernauts. And remember: ‘C’ is for ‘Chord,’ not ‘Cookie Monster’ …
Had enough? Probably not.
Hold tight for Sunrise Ocean Bender at 3. We’re going to check in with Matt Stevens; something new from Rumour Cubes; we’ll try and dig back into the upcoming new one from Mugstar as well asIn Search of Hawkwind; get a little airborne with Eric Burdon and hopefully catch a ride right up to the Concentration Moon; some silver-throated stylings from Ian Gillan; we’ll take a road trip with Brace/Choir and then hopefully hop onto the road to Graceland with Fripp and Sylvian … and much, much more.
For the life of me, I can’t recall how I ‘found’ Matt Stevens. Chances are good he found me … In the long run, and the long haul, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is his music. From the formidable The Fierce & The Dead to his acoustic outings, Echo and Ghost, Stevens leaves a mighty big footprint. Add to that his tireless working of new media, impressive web presence, and vigorous DIY work ethic, it’s clear he has created a space that only he can fill.
In between a flurry of projects — Ghost, preparing the new The Fierce & The Dead, freely advocating and promoting remixes of his music, video projects — Matt was kind enough to take some time out to fill us in on his admiration for his supporters, distributing his music, what lies in store for the next record and the difference between prog and post-rock {Spoiler: he doesn’t know either}.
"This show is 110% … one of the most consistently awesome programs we have come across."
The Sunrise Ocean Bender sets sail every Monday morning, 1 – 3 a.m. on WRIR lp 97.3 FM, to find something for your ears, and something for your head … From psych to prog to pop and whatever tributary we can find on the way … and right back around again. There might be a map, but the destination is up for grabs. If it all goes right, we may just get lost. Meet me at the muster station … it might be a long week.
The Fierce & The Dead
Matt Stevens
If Michigan had retooled itself this way, maybe … well, some things move on, and occasionally, forward … and luckily for us, so do 
I’ll be filling in for the venerable Wisdom Tooth on BombRadio this week, 1-3, right before Sunrise Ocean Bender. Those are mighty big shoes to step into …
